Aihe: House Modern. Brainstorming and pondering.

[Bor]

Happy Holidays! I am also vacationing now and grinding and leveling up in another state. 1 Regular and 1 Competitive event for now, but 3 more just in Modern before I get back to Funland.
 
December Modern playtest versus matches:

Bant Tempo VS 1-drop Naya Zoo

Abzan Company VS 1-drop Naya Zoo
 
Merfolks VS DnT (Legacy)

Abzan Company VS Bant Tempo

Bant Tempo VS Necrooze-Reanimator (pre-Shoal Goryo)

As you already know from previous threads that Abzan Company is my default deck.
Voice and Linvala are best cards suprisingly. Hard to not justify MD Voices. Linvy should be in SB. Firewalker is fine in SB, since I bring it in against a few non-Burn heavy decks. Cut Sin Collector and Eidolon lately for Kors. I got disruprtion with Scullers, which are more important in general coz of combos. 2 Fulmis and a Mindcensor for the worst matchups plus Scullers. Less Scapeshifts and more aggro in the meta is..."very nice".  At the store I play here now during vacationing so far 3-1 a regular and just missed on the top8 at a sort of Modern League qualifier for the yearly conclusion event. Never really regreted Paths main (plus Decays SB) and Fiend Hunter main. At wide meta or big events those are essential. Varolz turned out to be a nasty trucker (over 3rd Seer). 

Streamed MODO with Ad Nauseam at twitch.tv/boatbrew last weeks. Now I'm looking for a 2nd deck there, which won't consume me. Mates advized a Balance deck. Not going too far from the first deck, I know. One cannot really play blue Pacts in that one, unlike with the Unlife deck, but thinking of fighting blue decks and other combo with a similar SB like in the first deck: Duress, Holy Day, Silence,... 70 tix estimated for that deck plus upgrading Ad Nauseam with Spoils from the Vaults over Peers (about 2tix/copy). Another idea previously was a budget Boggles list, but those examples look really ugly. UR Storm is an option, but that is again another Unlife type of deck. Balance is a combo deck, but yet it feels better as far diversifying decks go to avoid boredom. Lemme know watcha think bout all this. 

Goryo's Reanim original decklist:

Necrotic Ooze Combo by Garett Young
Finished 3rd - 4th Place at 2015 StarCity Open Modern - Columbus - 1/4
 

Main Deck
2 Borborygmos Enraged
4 Griselbrand
4 Necrotic Ooze
4 Simian Spirit Guide
Creatures [14]
 
4 Faithless Looting
4 Goryo's Vengeance
4 Grisly Salvage
1 Jarad's Orders
4 Lightning Axe
4 Soul Spike
1 Unburial Rites
2 Zombie Infestation
Spells [24]
 
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Blood Crypt
1 Cavern of Souls
3 Copperline Gorge
1 Godless Shrine
3 Marsh Flats
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Stomping Ground
2 Swamp
1 Temple Garden
4 Verdant Catacombs
Lands [22]
 
Sideboard
 
3 Abrupt Decay
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Cavern of Souls
4 Pack Rat
2 Reclamation Sage
4 Thoughtseize
 
The version we used in the tape had these maindeck changes:
 
-1 Jarad's Orders
-2 Zombie Infestation
 
+2 Liliana of the Veil
+1 Lotleth Troll

The latest Shoal version is probably better, but this one is lets say more accessible. 

[Bor]

Some clumsy chat about what is next for Modern after bans and before Pro Tour and how new set will impact new Standard metagame.

Players at PT would be ready for Big Mana decks and those likely would be hated out. I expect Burn, mid Naya, and Jeskai Resto-Kiki to do well there, in addition to some other blue decks and other combos, which do not care about fair decks all that much and have a plan for an occasional counterspell. Some players would just stick to guts and play decks like Jund or Grixis Coontrol relying on experience. However, Tron and black Eldrazi variants should have decent numbers. 

Last SCG Open did not reflect all the hype, but there is a lot yet to observe.
8 different decks in that top8 raise optimism, but 4C Rally was the most played deck in Day2 of that event and there are many copies of Rally in top32. 4 in top16. A lot depended on the pilots in that event as well.
Average players should not adore Bring to Light or Dark Jeskai so much. 

[Bor]

It is barely news for anyone what is my default Modern deck, and since there is a Modern Poro Open and Modern champs coming soon I started to consider more extensive tests than usual and share the all.

First match with Abzan Company is
vs Temur aka Tarmo Delver.
Temur won an SCG Open or IQ not so long ago. This is I believe not the same build.

Guys at Modern Nexus provided a cool overview of possible builds for Goyf adepts.
They also give a lot of cool material on the format. Imo, even more than CFB give, but possibly less than SCG Premium.

Abzan Company build in the battle above is not what I'm considering right now, and I likely would fluctuate with the build in the weeks to come. Most important questions are the place of Voices and how hard to hate big mana decks and play around Relics.

On MODO I see a few decks getting big momentum lately: UW Sun Titan Control, Kiki BtL and Chord variants, UR Storm and Affinity, and Blue Moon.  UR Storm and decks like Griselhoalbrand strike me a bit. BW Eldrazi risen as another deck with Relics, hence I would be cautious with those combos. Near absence of Bells Control is probably due to obscurity of playing the deck online and not running out of time. But this is one of the decks I adore for offline play.

And while online there is not so much diversity, offline meta is cunning. Loads of decks are viable, but as for the upcoming Pro Tour, the narrative would be...much more narrow... My favorite is Jeskai Control with Resto Kiki, with Avens and more needles in SB. Yet Jeskai might fall down to adopted BGx decks with loads of paranoia for big mana decks.

A teammate is still hot on Bring to Light Scapeshift, a deck that now doesn't have to worry about two combo matchups. As for me I've been having fun on MODO with Ad Nauseam (also risen a lot online in Daily events and the League) and Restored Balance. Just 2mans, so no reliable statistics, but I've been running into a lot of Jund decks, and the matchup for both decks is quite ok. Soah, watchout for a name Boatbrew next time you open streams on Twitch.   

Happy testing, everyone (get in here!))

-Maelstrom Pulze

[Bor]

Some prep tests with Abzan Company before Poro Tour Modern Open:

Full playlist

(Scapeshirt, Colorless Tentacles, UR Tentacles, Temur Delver, Blue Moon, Jeskai Kiki,etc)

Thoughts post-Poro Open and SCG Open in Louisville for Abzan CoCo pilots:

RG Eldras got World Breakers and UW can get cute and side in Disenchants and definitely will bring RIP.
Thus, I conclude that Thune+Feeder duo is needed in the 75, and Worship is bad against new versions.
Extra BGH; Fiend Hunters, Intrepid Heroes are the new friends, in addition to some other cute techs I came up with like Dauntless Escort(Returns and Wraths) and Hornet Nest (not my idea, but I do see worth here).

More people should play Kala, but practice more as well. Mardu is also legit, as many of you already know.
Surprised to see a lack of UW Titan with D Spheres. Perhaps RG eats that for breakfast, don't know.
Storm won't see that many Chalices now, but would face RIPs from UW. That means Reanimators and Ad Nauseam can still be alive.

Goblins actually stand a chance as well. They don't get Spreading Seas like in Merfolks, but Gobz can be faster.

Aaron Forsythe told on Twitter that thered be no emergency bans. He would travel to GP Detroit to observe it closer, so achtung might still resolve, but Wotc would stay calm and follow the procedure.

[Bor]

New versus matches incoming:

Abzan CoCo vs UG Infect
-//- vs UW Titan
Monowhite Enduring Prison vs Naya Burn

UW Titan and Enduring Ideal Prison look very solid for this weekend and coming forward up until potential bans next month at least.
A lot of other decks seem great:
List of frontrunners (imo) includes the following apart from already mentioned decks (but don't play Burn, and weeell Infect is ok, but it is a gamble, although less Chalices around):
Merfolks, Mardu Midrange, Ad Nauseam, RG Eldrazi, UW Eldrazi (GerryT list), Affinity, etc.

Good luck to everybody who went or is going to Gran Prix Bologna this weekend!

[Bor]

UB Tezzeret in Choppaz Trinketland
Rough list, but should be a good starting point to breaking Modern.
Numbers need tuning, mb a Vendilion somewhere, some extra lifegain in 75.
Lil Jaces can be Bobs/TFK/Other prodraw.
In Jace's defense - it is a proactive t2 play, that generates value each turn. It is a backup wincon.
Yes, it cannot flashback Visions, hence no Snaps here, although 1 could be fine.
 

[Bor]

UB Tezzeret Deck Tech plus decklist update for Abzan Company.

I had to change a few cards here and there all the time. Felt like rocket science.
There definitely would be a more tuned list later on, but, I think, I did my best to explain card choices for a generic UB build.

[Bor]

I got a fresh stack of viable brews and classics for new Modern!
Did some data mining and pondering. Shuffled and topdecked)).

Here is the tape overviewing the decklists and ways to tune the builds.

Inside are all flavors of Jeskai, a bit on Jund Midrange, Esper Mentor, Burning Bushwhacker Zoo, flavors of Enduring Ideal, and Lantern Control.   

I would probably continue my thoughts in the tape with more extended schemes in a textual form later on this week.
I want to look at the format via some graphs and puzzles.

[Bor]

This Week in Standard and Modern #2 A General Overview. First half - Modern.
Last two weeks of results.
GP LA, SCG events, MKM Series, BoM, MtGO.
Metagame, trends, card and deck choices, positioning.

[Bor]

This Week in Modern and Standard #4.
P1. What to play at Modern WMCQ?!

Hope this would help you to make the decision easier for this weekend.

As always I looked at many paper and online events and tried to come up with a conclusion mixed up with my own perspective.

This episode is just about Modern. Standard updates will be in another part in another thread in another galaxy.

[Bor]

This Week in Modern and Standard #5. Part 2. Modern before WMCQs #3

Modern metagame recap. SCG Open, Modern Mocs, paper local events...

Plus deck tuning and deck choice discussions before WMCQs#3. Some countries have it this month.

Don't just look at big events, consider local meta trends, availability, pptqs and gpts, and your own experience with decks.

[Bor]

Sample post-sideboard games.

Modern Bar Clown Fiesta Special #1. UW Gifts Tron vs Abzan Company.

Spicy deck vs another spicy deck. Sideboard matters, and luck as well.

Modern Bar Clown Fiesta Special #2. Infect vs Bant Eldrazi.

Haters gonna hate! Pondering out the outs and still making fails. Another Clow Fiesta Spectacular!

[Bor]

Kuldotha Forgemaster MUD in Modern. Theorycraft

Brewing a possible build of MUD in Modern. Transition deck for Legacy into Modern for rogue/brew deck lovers.
I just had to answer this puzzle for myself. That is what if...? Played the archtype in Legacy, but it is probably too cute for Modern. Might surprise ppl at a regular event in a store, when Id travel to see old friends.

1x Blightsteel Colossus
1x Buried Ruin
4x Chalice of the Void
4x Darksteel Citadel
2x Ensnaring Bridge
1x Gemstone Caverns
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Inventors' Fair
4x Kuldotha Forgemaster
2x Lightning Greaves
4x Lodestone Golem
4x Mind Stone
4x Mox Opal
1x Platinum Emperion
4x Simian Spirit Guide
1x Sundering Titan
4x Thought-Knot Seer
4x Urza's Mine
4x Urza's Power Plant
4x Urza's Tower
2x Warping Wail
1x Wastes
2x Wurmcoil Engine

1x All Is Dust
1x Crucible of Worlds
2x Defense Grid
1x Ensnaring Bridge
1x Karn Liberated
1x Orbs of Warding
1x Pithing Needle
3x Ravenous Trap
2x Thorn of Amethyst
1x Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
1x Wurmcoil Engine

[Bor]

So I went to RPTQ for Dublin last weekend. Ended up being one playoff match away from the desired envelope. But as a minor bonus I will play the next RPTQ. Probly in Stock like most. Which is good bonus, since I was very active for the Nashville one with 4 pppppptqs played with 3 playoffs. By default for the past Modern one, I was first on the long time Trusty Machete called Abzan Company, then I gave it a few days of a spin through some gauntlet that was available. Didn't like my Jund matchup without oversideboarding, and some matchups were just too dicy. Even though I got to the slot with the deck at the Preliminary. But few days before the Regional one I switched to Dredge, because it was just too busted and wasn't that dead to hate cards as people think. In testing I won easily most games and got a grip of the deck (luckily I played Dredge in Legacy before, for years, but occasionally.

RPTQ top8 decklists in the VodkaLand

I fell down to Tron in the most important match. I sacrificed that matchup for a better overall coverage. I.e. Brutality over Thoughtseize, 4 Leylines over 2 Bojukas and 2 Ghost Quarters. Since Bojuka covers more matchups and Tron could be bad, mb I should've gone reverse, but Leylines did win me a mirror match in the swiss. Despite low turnout it was a stacked competition. 2 GP winners, old system Rus Nat Champ, Ukr Nat Champ, new system 2 time Rus Nat team member, etc.   

And here is a bit of my testing path in the days before the Regional:
 
Dredge VS Bant Eldrazi
Grixis Control VS Abzan Company
Ezuri ElfBall VS Abzan Company
Dredge VS Affinity

Dredge VS Jund (up soon, not the most up to date Jund, might add one versus match in January)

Thank you for attention!
Until the next sail!

[Bor]

RPTQ Dublin Test Preps. Dredge VS Jund.
Godda replay it later I guess one more time. This JUnd just wasn't prepared.
Unless Dredge will be hurt after Aether Revolt, but I doubt it.
Anyways, Standard is the next big thing now, because of the next RPTQ, but mostly next month, new set, etc.
Might go back to Bant Flash brew for these versus tapes, until I build more decks, or semi proxy.

Any thoughts on Grixis Kiln Fiend-Death's Shadow deck from MODO? One of the decks I want to build. Don't want to invest into stock Shadow Aggro builds, since I want to slowly build a few other decks. 

[Bor]

Let's talk about latest bans!

P1. Impact on the Standard Metagame.

P2. Impact on the Modern Metagame.

Tron, BGx, Grixis/Jeskai. Moaaarrr Un-IDs!!!

[Bor]

Bant Eldrazi VS Affinity

Jund Midrange VS Affinity

One more versus match to be uploaded up next soon.

So far meta seems to have a lot of Burn/Grixis/BGx (more Abzan), Tron, Valakut, others.

Dredge is not dead, UR Storm is not dead, neither is Infect or UR TitIs, but do not expect to kick all arses with those.

Burn right now seems like the most optimal deck, but it is a Modern Open in Finland, there are bound to be DnT decks, Elves, and other play-same-deck-for-years-because-I-don't-get-big-event-like-that-this-often.

Among other good metagame decks atm are Ad Nauseam, Griselhoalbrand, Death Shadow Jund.

Upd: Griselhoalbrand vs Abzan Company

[freedfromthereal]

Upd: Griselhoalbrand vs Abzan Company

Typo in the link - does not work

[Bor]

Upd: Griselhoalbrand vs Abzan Company

Typo in the link - does not work

Fixed

[Bor]

Jeskai Counter Skies VS UR Baral's Gifts Storm.

A funky semi-casual deck against one of the more common decks in the format. Tempo vs Combo.

Bant Flash VS Abzan Company.

The repeat of a grindfest matchup. Cool fun brew VS your basic creature based combo deck.

preping and brainstorming for Copenhagen too.
MODO atm looks quite different from paper.

What do you like more atm: Infect, Lantern, or Melira?

Eldrazi Tron or Bant Eldrazi?

Eldrazi, Storm or Melira?

Dredge or Lantern?

[Bor]

Our TKU team playtest sessions for GP Copenhagen. Recorded ones. Tested also RG Vengevine, Merfolks, and Bant Flash.

Eldrazi Tron VS UR Baral Gifts Storm

BW Eldrazi Taxes VS Death's Shadow AJundi

Eldrazi Tron VS Vizier Company

Death's Shadow VS Eldrazi Tron

GriselHoalBrand (Grixis Reanimator) VS Eldrazi Tron

Affinity VS Eldrazi Tron

Death's Shadow VS Vizier Company

Death's Shadow VS UR Baral Gifts Storm

And a bit of causal stuff for giggles.

Modern Speed Challenge. Monored Sligh VS UR Storm. Casual


Disliked Company and Storm. Unstable, fold overall to Drazi Tron and Shadow decks.
Griselhoalbrand looked really strong and hard to hate because of arcane tutor wish board and e.g. Through the breach into Wurms or whatever. 
Affinity does what it does. Shadow deck is just dumb and good, and stronK.
Merfolks looked solid. Its up to a specific list.
Drazi Tron looked very safe overall. Consistent that is. Nothing sick but well equipped in general.
Imo, there is no clear vision on Bant vs Tron. Both have own pluses and minuses. I just like Ballistas and Chalices too much. And the end game. Set on the core for Tron, but many techs are still open and bugging me.
RG aggro is a coinflip. But it gets some really nutty draws. Folds to Shadows overall.

[kaMeli85]

Links don't work.. or is it just me?? I'm using chrome -browser on phone..

[Bor]

Links have been fixed. Enjoy, reflect.

Decks to avoid in current Modern. Short notes article.

[Bor]

BW Eldrazi Taxes VS Eldrazi Tron

Bant Flash VS Eldrazi Tron

Vizier Counters Company VS Eldrazi Tron #2. Part 1

Vizier Counters Company VS Eldrazi Tron #2. Part 2

Few relevant versus test match tapes. should be good lullaby on the road or in the hotel before sleep.

[Bor]

Fixed links in the previous post. Cant copy paste it all from other sites, and doing it here is medieval.

[Bor]

Counters Company VS Jund Death's Shadow #2. Part 1

Counters Company VS Jund Death's Shadow #2. Part 2

Eldrazi Tron VS Jund Death's Shadow #2

[Bor]

What I played at Grand Prix Copenhagen and Why. Modern Format Analysis

10-5. Could've done better. Exhaustion mattered. Happy with the deck. Stay focused and clear, play well, good luck!

Land (24)
4x [c]Eldrazi Temple[/c]
4x [c]Ghost Quarter[/c]
1x [c]Sea Gate Wreckage[/c]
4x [c]Urza's Mine[/c]
4x [c]Urza's Power Plant[/c]
4x [c]Urza's Tower[/c]
3x [c]Wastes[/c]
Instant (4)
3x [c]Dismember[/c]
1x [c]Warping Wail[/c]
Sorcery (1)
1x [c]All Is Dust[/c]
Creature (19)
3x [c]Endbringer[/c]
4x [c]Matter Reshaper[/c]
4x [c]Reality Smasher[/c]
4x [c]Thought-Knot Seer[/c]
4x [c]Walking Ballista[/c]
Artifact (10)
3x [c]Chalice of the Void[/c]
4x [c]Expedition Map[/c]
2x [c]Mind Stone[/c]
1x [c]Ratchet Bomb[/c]
Planeswalker (2)
2x [c]Karn Liberated[/c]
Sideboard (15)
2x [c]All Is Dust[/c]
2x [c]Basilisk Collar[/c]
1x [c]Batterskull[/c]
1x [c]Chalice of the Void[/c]
2x [c]Grafdigger's Cage[/c]
1x [c]Pithing Needle[/c]
1x [c]Ratchet Bomb[/c]
2x [c]Relic of Progenitus[/c]
2x [c]Surgical Extraction[/c]
1x [c]Warping Wail[/c]

[Bor]

A small addition to my monologue here.

Bant Flash VS Jeskai CounterBirds. Casual Modern

Plan to reboot the project and do many things differently. Meanwhile enjoy home custom brews and my rap and salt.
Cores of the decks I think are something totally potent for competitive. Both decks are designed by us.

Writing some article atm vastly touching Modern, How to get over netdecking. Very likely I will do it in English. And if my team likes it, someone might put it in Finnish.

If everything goes well for me in certain area, you won't see me anymore at the tournaments around the land after few months, but at GPs, sure. I will continue filming and writing, but soon-ish with more support. Currently supporting many other local projects in my lingo. 

- Dat ger-fin ryssä